Choosing the correct style of garden hoe for each job | Gardening 101 | Gardening Australia

When I pop one of these over my shoulder, I feel like breaking into song. But I'm going to spare you that and stick to what I'm good at. I'm going to tell you about one of the most useful and trustiest tools. The hoe. Hoes are some of the oldest tools used in gardening and agriculture. They're perfect for shaping and clearing soil, harvesting root crops and, of course, weeding. But there are more than 30 different types available, so it's important to know the difference and pick the one that's best suited to the task that you want it to do. I'm going to run you through three of the most widely used hoes. The first is the stirrup hoe. It's called that because it looks exactly like the stirrup on a saddle. It's otherwise known as the loop or slide hoe. And it's brilliant for getting out stubborn, shallow-rooted weeds from large beds. It has a slight pivot on the end, meaning it can be used in back-and-forth motions, cutting weeds on both sides. The thing I like most about the stirrup hoe is you can get in nice and close to your plants without having to worry about damaging them. Next up, the Dutch hoe. There's a few different forms of these, but this one has a nice flat, broad blade, which is used in more of a pushing motion. The thing I really love about these hoes is that they've got a nice, long, comfortable handle, meaning I don't have to move around too much to get the weeds. And also, I don't have to bend over. This one is popular because it slides easily under mulch, chopping off young weeds at the surface of the soil. The ideal movement is like sliding a spatula under a pizza. It's no good for cultivating, but will rip through annual weeds. Finally, the chipping, what I've always known as the swan-neck hoe. This is a fairly light version, but they do come more heavy-duty. But they're great for chipping out larger, more established weeds or breaking up large clods of soil in your garden. Unlike the previous two hoes, this one uses an up-down chopping motion and can shift a fair bit of soil in the process. It's perfect for turning over unused or neglected garden beds. Maintaining your hoe is pretty straightforward. Just give it a good rub down after use and try and keep your blade nice and sharp. And if you choose the right tool for the job, you can be happily hoeing for years to come.